History
Traditionally, Kelty was a mining village. From the late 1800’s the 23 mines in and around Kelty employed hundreds of men and the village grew rapidly to be the largest in Fife, with a population of about 9000 in the 1980’s. As these traditional industries diminished, the population fell to about 6000 but Kelty has not lost its strong community spirit and identity.
This was a dangerous occupation and on 14th December 1957 an explosion at Lindsay colliery killed nine miners and injured eleven. A memorial to the miners who perished was erected outside the old Kelty Library and now stands in front of the new Community Centre. The last annual Memorial Service commemorating the event by the Community was held on the 60th anniversary on 15th December 2017.
The miners and their families were the backbone of the Independent Christian Fellowships in Kelty at that time. There has been an evangelical witness in Kelty for many years, with Christians meeting in the Gospel Hall situated on Station Road in the early 1900’s, moving to Ebenezer Hall, Centre St in 1954 (Known locally as the “Mission”). .
From the 1920’s the Kelty Mission, in the Main Street ( Known as the Buttercup Mission) also served the community until the two Fellowships came together in 1970’s.
Kelty Evangelical Church now meets in the modernised premises at 52 Main Street.
Over the years, many people from the community attended services, including Sunday School, Bible Class and Youth Fellowship – many still recall those times. Many of the youth Fellowship travelled on the bus every week to the baths and sports centre. Most years they travelled to the Fife Bible Class camps or camps at the Keswick Convention.
Our purpose is still the same – to preach the Gospel – to provide fellowship for fellow Christians and serve the local community.
Mission Statement
- Cultivating a healthy fear and reverence of God
- Communicating the full counsel of God through clear, relevant, challenging and uncompromising Bible teaching.
- Training and equipping the saints for the work of service.
- Developing a praying people.
- Encouraging a caring community.
- Bringing the gospel to the world and the world to Christ.